The "G.U.Y." singer's actual b-day is today, but she kicked off celebrations Thursday night in New York City, even cracking a macabre joke about hitting the big 2-8, telling fans, "I made it past 27!"

Gaga is well aware of the tragic "27 Club"—the nickname given to the group of performers who died just three years before turning 30—and she made it clear she didn't want to be a "member." The list of "members" includes Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Brian Jones.

But in a Z100 radio interview last year, a 26-year-old Gaga made her intentions of growing older very clear. "I want to show people that I will last past 27," she said, "and I will last longer, and so will you."

"I want to change this code in the atmosphere that in order to be remembered, I must die young. In order to be remembered as a legend, I must be dead first," she said. "This is unhealthy."

Mother Monster, as you can see, is happy not to have been touched by the curse of 27. And for good reason, she celebrated being 28 with enthusiasm. As shown in a fan's Instagram video, Gaga danced excitedly as her Little Monsters sang "Happy Birthday" and threw confetti in the air. She tweeted a link to the cute clip, adding, "I love my fans best birthday ever."

Your information may be shared with other NBCUniversal businesses and used to better tailor our services and advertising to you. For more details about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy. If you are located outside of the U.S., your information may be transferred to, processed and used in the U.S.